The (almost) Complete Guide and FAQ to Fishless Cycling

[Irish.OG87]

What would cause pH to lower from 7.6 to 6.4 over the course of a couple days?

My ammo has been going to zero every 24 hours. My nitrites stay at 5.0. Nitrates seem to go no higher than 20. Then after a little less than a week, my nitrites drop to 2.0 but my ammo only drops from 4.0 to 2.0 over 24 hours. I check pH and it is at 6.0 to 6.4 instead of the normal 7.4-ish. I then did a 90% PWC. I then immediately check nitrates and it had bounced back up to 5.0. That's right, doing a 90% PWC brings nitrites from 0.25 to 5.0. My tap water shoes zero. It's almost like the lowered pH shows a false low nitrite level and restoring the pH and water buffers brought it back up.

It's been 96 hours since the 90% PWC and my parameters are showing the same signs. It was 96 to 120 hours since the last PWC when I saw this happen the first time.

I'm using my phone for this particular message, but I could use the PC and enter my complete diary of water testing if it would help.

Opinions?

pH crash wud be bad news for your cycle, bacteria leashes the buffers from the water which then decreases your pH.
get some CC which will bring up your pH and if all fails, doing a pwc would prevent a pH crash and fix the buffers in the water. If i was you id keep an eye on it.
Some tanks can have a mind of its own....like mine!!!

 

[eco23]

With all these pH crashes happening recently (everything happens at once, lol), I'm starting to wish I'd added crushed coral into the guide as an optional tool to ensure a smooth cycle. The 50% pwc I put at the midpoint of the cycle is designed to prevent these crashes...but if people have extremely soft / low alkalinity water, it can definitely cause a stall / revert in your cycle and is worth keeping a very close eye on.

 

[Cloudrider]

What would cause pH to lower from 7.6 to 6.4 over the course of a couple days?

My ammo has been going to zero every 24 hours. My nitrites stay at 5.0. Nitrates seem to go no higher than 20. Then after a little less than a week, my nitrites drop to 2.0 but my ammo only drops from 4.0 to 2.0 over 24 hours. I check pH and it is at 6.0 to 6.4 instead of the normal 7.4-ish. I then did a 90% PWC. I then immediately check nitrates and it had bounced back up to 5.0. That's right, doing a 90% PWC brings nitrites from 0.25 to 5.0. My tap water shoes zero. It's almost like the lowered pH shows a false low nitrite level and restoring the pH and water buffers brought it back up.

It's been 96 hours since the 90% PWC and my parameters are showing the same signs. It was 96 to 120 hours since the last PWC when I saw this happen the first time.

I'm using my phone for this particular message, but I could use the PC and enter my complete diary of water testing if it would help.

Opinions?

I had a ph drop like that when I cycled my tank. And with eco23's help I got it backup to 7.2ish. I think my drop was caused by adding some drift wood. I went back and looked at my notes and figured out that I added about time ph dropped. I got some crushed coral and put some in a mesh bag and put in my filter. It will cloud your water so if you add cc just remember that. After i got ph up my cycle kicked back in and finished in few days. Thanks again eco23 and all for the help on mine.

Cr

 

[eco23]

pH crash wud be bad news for your cycle, bacteria leashes the buffers from the water which then decreases your pH.
get some CC which will bring up your pH and if all fails, doing a pwc would prevent a pH crash and fix the buffers in the water. If i was you id keep an eye on it.
Some tanks can have a mind of its own....like mine!!!

Look at Liam throwing out the good info! Good job man, I'm glad you hang around here and help out.

 

[eco23]

I had a ph drop like that when I cycled my tank. And with eco23's help I got it backup to 7.2ish. I think my drop was caused by adding some drift wood. I went back and looked at my notes and figured out that I added about time ph dropped. I got some crushed coral and put some in a mesh bag and put in my filter. It will cloud your water so if you add cc just remember that. After i got ph up my cycle kicked back in and finished in few days. Thanks again eco23 and all for the help on mine.

Cr

And Cloudrider throwing out the knowledge! We're starting a movement!

 

[Cloudrider]

Lol. I try and learn so I can pass it on. Btw levels doing great today. Lost few fish this week. 2 angels and 3zebra danios. All others doing great.

Cr

 

[eco23]

Lol. I try and learn so I can pass it on. Btw levels doing great today. Lost few fish this week. 2 angels and 3zebra danios. All others doing great.

Cr

I remember you had a problem with one of the angels...sorry about the others :-(. I assume your parameters are holding strong? Did you check out Severum Mama's stock list I mentioned?

 

[Cloudrider]

Yes levels are doing great. Did a pwc yesterday just to make sure. I've been reading some and it looks like several had problems with angels lately. Needless to say I didn't replace the angels with angels. I put a dwarf gourami in there. It's doing great as well. I did look at there fish sale. Looks like I may be adding more fish. Lol

Cr

 

[royta]

Thanks folks. I'll need to do a PWC tomorrow and add crushed coral tomorrow. I'll dose the ammo back up but I'll also need to put a raw shrimp in a mesh bag to maintain the ammo level. I'll be away from the tank for about five days and will be unable test and dose back up.

Ok, local petsmart has some crushed coral. I'll pick it up tonight and put it in the filter and check pH in the morning. Hopefully I can avoid a PWC.

How much should I add? Is there a chance of the pH level rising too high while I'm gone?

 

[shammond15731]

Just checked levels on my daughters tank ammo 0 no2 0 no3 40. Not sure if this is cycled or what since I never saw the spike of no2. I did have an amazing old filter I used for seeding, but I don't want to put fish in if this isn't really cycled. What do u think?

 

[eco23]

Just checked levels on my daughters tank ammo 0 no2 0 no3 40. Not sure if this is cycled or what since I never saw the spike of no2. I did have an amazing old filter I used for seeding, but I don't want to put fish in if this isn't really cycled. What do u think?

Sounds cycled . Remind me what type of ammo source you were using...pure ammo, shrimp? If it's pure ammo, dose it up to 3-4ppm and if it drops to 0 ammo and 0 no2. If so...cycled!!! In that case just do your big pwc to drop the nitrAtes and add fish!

 

[eco23]

Thanks folks. I'll need to do a PWC tomorrow and add crushed coral tomorrow. I'll dose the ammo back up but I'll also need to put a raw shrimp in a mesh bag to maintain the ammo level. I'll be away from the tank for about five days and will be unable test and dose back up.

Ok, local petsmart has some crushed coral. I'll pick it up tonight and put it in the filter and check pH in the morning. Hopefully I can avoid a PWC.

How much should I add? Is there a chance of the pH level rising too high while I'm gone?

Just a good handful will work. Pick up some mesh bags while you're there. Also make sure you rinse it real good before adding it so it doesn't cloud up too bad. The CC will only buffer to a certain point and stop...it won't raise your pH too high...it'll work great. My money would be on you being finished when you get back or right after

 

[shammond15731]

Sounds cycled . Remind me what type of ammo source you were using...pure ammo, shrimp? If it's pure ammo, dose it up to 3-4ppm and if it drops to 0 ammo and 0 no2. If so...cycled!!! In that case just do your big pwc to drop the nitrAtes and add fish!

Yes pure ammonia.

 

[royta]

Just a good handful will work. Pick up some mesh bags while you're there. Also make sure you rinse it real good before adding it so it doesn't cloud up too bad. The CC will only buffer to a certain point and stop...it won't raise your pH too high...it'll work great. My money would be on you being finished when you get back or right after

Great! I'll look for a pH increase in the morning. I'll do a PWC if I don't see a pH increase by noon.

 

[eco23]

Great! I'll look for a pH increase in the morning. Ill do a PWC if I don't see a pH increase by noon.

It'll increase on it's own in about 5 minutes, lol. . Keep us posted!

 

[royta]

Hwy big of a raw shrimp do I need? I bought a bag of the 31 - 40 shrimp per pound size.

 

[eco23]

Hwy big of a raw shrimp do I need? I bought a bag of the 31 - 40 shrimp per pound size.

I'd say 2-3 for the tank, 37-38 for dinner, lol. Actually I don't know...I've never used shrimp.

 

[royta]

It'll increase on it's own in about 5 minutes, lol. . Keep us posted!

Awesome! Before or after filter?

 

[eco23]

Awesome! Before or after filter?

Where to put it? When I had an HOB filter I just threw it in there with the media. Just don't spread it over the substrate...it'll be cloudy and you'll never get it out.

 

[Irish.OG87]

I'd say 2-3 for the tank, 37-38 for dinner, lol. Actually I don't know...I've never used shrimp.

mmmmm....shrimp n beer mmmmm

just curious, but if u never did a pwc doing cycle and taking into consideration water had a high pH reading.....wud my NO2 and NO3 gradually go down after spiking? just wondered.